ARLINGTON, TEXAS - The Texas Rangers have signed free agent left-hander Mike Minor to a three-year contract, the team officially announced Wednesday afternoon.

According to Yahoo! Sports MLB columnist Jeff Passan, the deal is for three years and $28 million, which is the highest average annual value of any non-closing reliever, according to FOX's Ken Rosenthal.

The Rangers, though, plan to use Minor as a starting pitcher, which Passan reports was part of what separated Texas in the pursuit of Minor.

The market for Mike Minor was interesting. Some teams didn't bother considering him because of worries about his shoulder. Others were all in on him as an Andrew Miller-type reliever. The Rangers believe he can start, and that wound up being a separator.

The Rangers have been rumored to be considering the use of a six-man starting rotation next season. Minor, who will turn 30 the day after Christmas, was 6-6 with a 2.55 ERA in 65 relief appearances last season with the Kansas City Royals.

The Minor signing was reported to be close to a done deal Tuesday, but it was pending a physical and there was no announcement from the team.

On Wednesday, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reported that Minor had passed his physical with the Rangers.

The seventh overall pick by Atlanta in the 2009 amateur draft, Minor was 38-36 with a 4.10 ERA while starting 110 of 111 games with the Braves from 2010-14 before missing two seasons with shoulder injuries. He became a free agent last month after declining his $10 million option to stay in Kansas City.